Amman, 10 February, 2015

Maersk Line Jordan announced the launch of its new ME5 service, which directly connects Aqaba to South India and the Western Mediterranean. The announcement was made during a launch event held on Tuesday, Feb 10 2015, which was attended by the Minister of Transport, H.E. Dr. Lina Shbeeb, together with several notable officials, VIPs and investors as well as representatives of the local media.

The new service launched by Maersk Line Jordan aims to improve maritime transport in the Kingdom, with direct calls to Aqaba from key global logistical hubs and faster transit times under the strictest reliability standards. This will solidify Aqaba's presence on the global logistical map by securing more reliable and efficient maritime transport services, which will have a lasting positive impact on Jordan's national supply chain and will help underscore Aqaba's position as a viable trade and investment hotspot.

With the launch of its ME5 service, Maersk Line Jordan will deliver two additional direct calls to Aqaba on both east and west bounds, in addition to the current direct service that Maersk Line operates from Northern Europe, for a total of four weekly sailings to and from Aqaba, three of which are direct services.

The new ME5 service will follow a rotation that will begin in Chennai and include scheduled stops at ports in Colombo, Salalah, Jeddah, Aqaba, Port Said, Algeciras, Valencia, Genoa, Port Said, Aqaba, Jeddah, Djibouti, Salalah and Colombo, before finally returning to Chennai.

The management of Maersk Line Jordan emphasized the company's commitment to the ongoing development of maritime transport services in the Kingdom, complemented by a varied lineup of logistical services. This, the management noted, falls in line with the company's plans to accommodate the growing needs of importers and exporters, and to position Aqaba as one of the premier logistical and investment hubs in the region due to its strategic location and ability to service regional markets.

Maersk Line is the world's largest container shipping company, known for providing reliable, flexible and eco-friendly services. The company provides services to its customers through 374 branches located in 116 countries worldwide. It also employs around 7,000 seafarers aboard the 580 shipping vessels in its fleet, in addition to 25,000 employees based in 135 countries. 

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© Press Release 2015